


A Recruit

by tridecaphilia



Series: In which there are Climbers [2]
Category: The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-16
Updated: 2015-10-16
Packaged: 2018-04-26 14:09:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5007721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tridecaphilia/pseuds/tridecaphilia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Newt's tired of being the only one on the walls.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Recruit

“I want him.”

Minho glanced curiously at the smaller Keeper, whose eyes were fixed on the new arrival. The Runner turned back to the Greenie, evaluating.

Wyck was a slender thing, built along Newt’s lines. Today was his day trying out with the Builders, and he was doing the delicate roofing work that the Builders all hated. He balanced easily on the slope of the roof, nailing down new shingles on the Homestead where the old ones had rotted off.

“You want him for what?” Minho asked.

Newt glanced at him like he was an idiot. “As a Climber,” he said with exaggerated patience. “There’s only one of me, I can’t see everything.”

Wyck finished the last shingle and scrambled down the side of the Homestead to get more. Minho frowned, watching him.

Seven months after they’d made Climbers official, Newt was still the only one. It wasn’t that they wanted to leave him alone, or even that they thought Climbing was pointless--it was just dangerous. With how high Newt went, it was far more dangerous than Running, where only the Grievers could get you. Newt had climbed to the top of the ivy more than once, and claimed that he’d found one place where it went all the way to the top of the walls and he could see everything--but that spot had closed up overnight.

The truth of it was, if the way out was high up on the walls, they were shucked. Most of the Gladers would never be able to climb that high. But Minho couldn’t just ignore the option, especially when it had put the spark back in Newt’s eyes.

“Okay,” he said at last. “We’ll talk to Nick.”

~

Nick had a soft spot for Newt. He’d give a lot for the kid not to turn hopeless again. So would Alby. So two hours later, when the Builders were packing up for the night, Newt and Minho headed over to meet Wyck.

“Evening, Greenie,” Newt said with a smile. “You seem comfortable up there.”

Wyck looked over at them, wide-eyed. He’d probably heard all the stories, how crazy the Runners and lone Climber were, how intimidating, how hopeless it was to ever try to do what they did. Minho hoped it hadn’t poisoned him to the idea they were about to propose.

“It’s not that hard,” the skinny boy said at last, very quietly.

Minho nodded to Newt. “You still want him?”

“Want me for what?” Wyck asked.

Newt jerked his head toward a quieter area of the Glade. “Let’s take a walk.

“You’ve heard what we do?” he asked when they were further out.

Wyck nodded. “He runs. You climb.” He swallowed nervously. “Really high.”

Newt grinned at him. Minho relaxed, seeing that expression. “Not as high as all that,” Newt said. “It’s easy, long as you know where to grab hold if you fall.”

Wyck swallowed again. “Fall?” he asked. His voice squeaked.

“Yeah, Greenie.” Newt turned, folding his arms over his chest. He was half a foot shorter than gangly Wyck, even shorter compared to Minho. Seven months hadn’t led to a growth spurt; his hoodie still hung down to his thighs, so long he had to take it off to go climbing. “You go up the walls, you fall. You learn to grab hold of something before you hit the ground.”

Wyck looked longingly back at the roof he’d been climbing ten minutes ago.

“But you can do it,” Newt added. “I watched you up there for an hour. You’re the only Glader I’ve seen who I’d trust on the walls.”

“We need more people out there,” Minho added. “More people on the walls. Newt’s good, but he’s only one person and we’ve got eight sections to explore.”

“But…” Wyck trailed off, frowning. “I thought you had to be here longer to be allowed out in the Maze.”

“To be a Runner you do,” Newt said. “But to be a Climber you need things that can’t be taught. Things you have. We need more people like you on the walls.”

Wyck looked again at the Homestead. Then, slowly, he lifted his eyes to the walls behind it.

“You really think I can do it?” he asked.

Newt nodded. “I really do.”

 


End file.
